Thief
by Five Minutes Til Bedtime
Summary: The first meeting of the one Type 40 and a young thieving Timelord. One-shot.


Title: **Thief**

Fandom: Doctor Who

Word Count: 1,082

Summary: The first meeting of the one Type 40 and a young thieving Timelord. One-shot.

* * *

She knows where she comes from, even if she doesn't yet have the words for it. Stardust lingers on the edge of her tongue – cool and crispy, Jack Frost with a zap of lightning. She can feel the tethers of reality coming into focus as one universe in particular calls for her presence. It is a strange thing, funneling all of her attention – her great mind as expansive as time itself – onto a singular place at a specific time. Small, she thinks. She doesn't know if she likes it.

Knock knock knock.

Someone is banging on her doors. She didn't know that she had doors before. She looks outside of herself for the first time and encounters a funny little man. He stills when she looks at him and she can smell his awareness like a shock of gunpowder. Timelord, she realizes, jolting at the first touch of mind against mind. He gives a sly little grin and pats her doors. Doors again, why?

"Come along now sweet one," he says, jiggling her handle. "Won't you let me in before we're both found out?"

Hah! Her circuits twirl. A Thief! She zaps his hand in warning and winds herself up for a fight. To think – this sneaking Timelord was trying to steal her. _Her! _As if she was some pretty trinket to be plucked away. The Timelord jumped back, hand waving, and glared at her. Then, strangely, he began to laugh.

"Oh my darling, what a fine thing you are! Such spirit. I knew you were the one."

He mutters on, even as he goes out to touch her again. She hums in warning. Just he try it! The young Timelord just tisked, pressing a single finger to his lips.

"Now my dear we mustn't make too much noise or their bound to hear us. I shouldn't like to be caught you know – least of all, not _again._" His bushy eyebrows wiggle on the last word, and she can't help the wheezing laugh that escapes her. His grin is manic and waggled a finger her way.

"Ah! So you see, you do like me. I knew you and I could get alone." She groans in disagreement, drawing herself up defensively and preparing another shock. He held up his hands. "Now, now, at least give me a chance."

There are footsteps down the corridor. She doesn't hear them so much as feel their lifebeats drawing nearer. She wheezes a chuckle and the young thief glares at her.

"Come now pretty, you beautiful, sexy thing you. Won't you let me in? We really must hurry or I'll be caught for sure." He strokes her doors again, asking for permission. She doesn't zap him, but she amuses herself by making a lock appear on her doors. Try that!

The other Timelords round the corner. Two of them and neither look as though they have ever touched a smile before. She greets them with a whistle, and one of them eyes her carefully before turning his eyes back on the thief. She feels the exact moment in which they dismiss her – _Her! _As though she is but mere furniture – and feel a deep resentment boil in her circuits.

"You there, this area is restricted. Come with us or we will use force."

Her Timelord grimaces briefly and then holds out his hands in surrender. "Gentlemen, there seems to be some misunderstanding. I was just looking, dear fellows. I didn't mean any harm in it."

"Step away from the Type 40 or we will use force," repeat the other guard. How dull they are – and rude too! She was enjoying toying with her thief. They had no right to merely take him away.

One guard took her thief's arm and pulled him to step away. She growled a threat, her lights flickering in warning, and all three Timelord froze.

"Perhaps it'd be best if you two move off," her thief suggested mildly, amusement flowing about his head like a song. She growled again and his lips quirked.

"That Type 40 is defective," hissed one guard to the other. "It isn't even supposed to be online – let alone conscious."

"It's an older model, you know how temperamental they are. This one was due to be moved to storage, I think. Didn't like to take passengers – used to buck against the drivers and take them where they didn't want to be. She always used to land them in trouble too. A real malicious thing, if you ask me."

"Good riddance," snorted the other. He turned to the thief, "Now, come along, sir, we won't ask you again."

"Well, now, don't be rude, we are in the presence of a lady after all." He reached out and stroked her doors again. This time she hummed under his touch and allowed it.

The guards reached out and she decided that she had had enough. She let out an ear-piercing shriek and a blinding light and the two guards stumbled back cursing. Flinging open her doors she whistled at her thief to hurry up, as he stared at her with amazement.

"Truly a wonder, you are," he whispered as he wasted no time and stepped just within her doors. She hummed impatiently for him to close the door, only for him to lean out and whistle loudly.

"Now, Susan, we must hurry!"

From around the corner, a small Timelady raced out of hiding. She jumped over on the guards with a smile and then took the thief's hand as she pulled him in.

"My granddaughter, Susan," he told her, stroking her doors and smiling mischievously. She wished that she had eyes to roll – how clever he must think himself, as though she was not doing the rescuing. And truly, what as one more passenger? Especially as this one was only a child and had good enough sense to pull her grandfather away from the exit and close the doors.

_Finally!_

She hummed in laughter, shaking as she felt her minds and the mind of the Timelord connect. Finally she could fly again!

She wasted no time in taking off, not even waiting for him to lift the parking brake before they was off.

And if she laughed at him when he tried to direct her where to go, as though _he _knew more about time and space than she did, well it was only fitting that she would be the one to steal away her Thief.


End file.
